Not The Same
by Narkness
Summary: As everything does, it changes and twists. Sometimes fate deals a cruel hand.'But no one was the same anymore. Nothing was the same.' PostFFX. ON HOLD.
1. Not The Same

_**Narkness: Greetings. I hope someone can enjoy this. This is just the first chapter of what, so far, looks to be a long story. This is what life is like now post FFx. I don't like giving everything away, right away, Like a first date. :P **_

**_I tend to ramble... alot. _**

**Warnings for this chapter : **Coarse Language, Mature themes ( i guess).

If you don't like swearing or things like that, go read lower rated fanfiction.

Please do point out spelling and grammar mistakes to me. I hate errors and I'm sure you do to.

**Disclamer: **I do **not **own anything to do with final fantasy x or x-2. Except the games! I bought them from EB games.

No, I am not crazy. Just ask my imaginary friend, Peter.

_

* * *

__When the sun rises it's a new day, right? _

_Your supposed to have a fresh start, right? _

_What idiot came up with that idea! _

I continued to feed, what was supposed to be pureed vegetables, into my second cousins mouth using a brightly coloured child-sized spoon. The baby munched happily, green leaking from the sides of his mouth. His hands drummed a lifeless tune on the plastic of the baby highchair table.

I sighed as he dribbled the food all over his chin.

"Eww." I remarked, wiping the drool away with the blue bib around his neck. "You're hopeless, aren't you?" I teased him, feeding the child more of the sloppy-looking substance.

I flinched as a yell came from down the hall of the tiny apartment.

"YOU FUCKING SLUT!" A man's voice yelled. "HOW CAN YOU DO THAT AFTER ALL I'VE DONE FOR YOU!."

"Aniki, be reasonable -" A soft, but frightened, voice pleaded.

"WHY THE FUCK SHOULD I BE REASONABLE ABOUT THIS!? IS THAT CHILD OUT THERE EVEN MINE?"

Alex began to cry, his tiny face twisting into wrinkled lines as he made an almost screeching noise.

"Shush." I lifted him out of the highchair, crooning him, trying to settle him.

"Aniki, I -" The little voice pleaded again.

"YOU KNOW WHAT! I'M FUCKING LEAVING! HAVE FUN TRYING TO SUPPORT YOURSELF NOW RIKKU! YOU MIGHT ACTUALLY HAVE TO DO SOMETHING OTHER THAN GET PREGNANT!"

There was the sound of a hand smacking skin and a yelp followed with it. I held Alex tighter; he was pulling on my hair as he bawled.

"It's okay, Alex." I attempted to soothe him, even though it was pointless.

A tall blonde man stormed into the hallway, his things gathered and glaring. His face was red. I didn't say anything, no smart comments, the look in Aniki's eyes told me that would be a big mistake.

I knew, and I think Alex did too, that Aniki was just trouble from day one.

Aniki stormed out the front door without even so much as a goodbye to his son.

_Bastard. _

I couldn't hear anything from the other room. Alex was starting to settle down now, his cries were soft now.

"He's gone now." I murmured, ruffling Alex's scraggly blonde hair. He looked up at me with his innocent little blue swirled eyes, he let out a whimper. I set him down on the tacky-looking flower print couch. "Stay here, I'm gonna go check on mummy." I whispered to him.

Alex let out some noises that sounded like he was attempting to form words, but just ended up as a silly little 'goo goo bah'.

I found my cousin curled up in an 'emotional fetal position' in the bedroom, her entire tiny frame shook as she sobbed.

"Rikku?" I kneeled next to her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. She didn't whisper a word, just hugged me tight. "It's alright sweetie." I tried to calm her.

"Is..he gone?" She asked me, raising her face from my shoulder. Such fear filled her eyes, I couldn't remember the last time she smiled, or called me 'Yunie'. I can't tell you how much I'd give just to see her happy again.

Her cheek had a redish tinge. He'd hit her. Nothing new, Aniki had been hitting her since the beginning of their relationship.

Once Rikku had been bouncy, happy, joy to everyone. But no-one was the same anymore.

Nothing was the same.


	2. Time

_**Narkness: **_**Here ya go. Another chapter. Damn I need to get a social life. **

**Warnings for this Chapter** Mild Language, Adult themes, Mild Sexual References (meaning the breif mention of the 'S' word) (Overal rating for story is subject to change at any time, I'll give ya's some warning of when.)

**Disclaimer : **I do **not **own anything to do with FFX or FFX-2. BUT I DO OWN ANIKI! He's my little creation. I also own Alex. (I don't even own my laptop, I'm still paying it off.)

As always if there are any grammar or spelling errors let me know. I hate them and I'm sure you do too. Ooo and give me suggestions of which characters you'd also like to see in this story. I'm unsure of just _how _messed up to make the other characters.

* * *

It's been four years now, four long years since the downfall of Yu Yevon and the destruction of Sin.

For three months, just three, people were happy. I saw children smile again, I saw adults laugh again. For those three months what we fought for was worth it.

But I couldn't fill that void in my heart that _he _left. Just like the people who lost their families, nothing can replace them.But, as I always did, I put on a happy face, smiled because everyone else was. Then the world turned, the man leading the nation of Spira went mad, mad with power.

Then no-one was smiling.

Besaid was demolished; Kilka was obliterated, just to make room for bigger cities. I watched all I'd fought for, all _we'd _fought for, cleared away. Those smiles were wiped away in an instant.

Everyone from those towns were left homeless. We all did what we could to survive in a growing world, which meant moving into a small dilapidated apartment in the city of Besaid after a long stay in Luca.

With the new cities came the problems all cities have. Over-population, unemployment, homeless people, drug abuse, plain-old abuse, prostitution, theft, gang violence, poverty.

The world was corrupt once more.

The Albhed nation flourished in this place of crisis, people wanted machina again. But with high demand and plenty of 'lost in translation' problems, the prices were high for these machines. Those who could afford machina, bought them. Those who couldn't, didn't buy them, just struggled along in the world.

For a whole year, I fought the government that was mistreating the world. Then someone tried to assassinate 'Lord' Tokoroa, I was blamed for the unsuccessful attempt. I wasn't even given an attempt to prove myself innocent. I spent two years in a grubby prison before they caught the real assassin.

Prison desensitized me, cold walls, cold food and cold people.

I had never felt so empty. I spent my time in that cell writing. Writing letters to my friends, writing letters to _him. _I imagined what their responses would be like, whether they laughed and smiled, or frowned and cried. I wrote them long letters about what I had done during the day, what prison life was like. I found a great serenity in writing.

Then I'd fold the letters up and put them under my thin mattress.

It made the meager existance that I had easier to deal with.

But now, looking back, I see that there was more order in that prison than in reality.

* * *

Once Rikku had calmed down, she set to making dinner like nothing had even happened. She looked like a ghost, thin and pale, always nervous and silent. She reminded me of a neglected doll. Her once well kept blonde hair was disheveled and dirty. Her clothes hung off her almost skeletal frame. She sneaked instead of walking, always looking over her shoulder, like someone was going to jump out of nowhere and abuse her.

Time had changed her.

For one the Rikku I remember was never mottled with bruizes. She was never fearful, always brave, not timid like a mouse.

What happened?

Aniki happened.

The vindictive bastard that had taken pleasure in hitting her, making her cry, then storming off in a huff. Then he'd come back, Rikku was too fearful to do anything about him. He'd tell Rikku he was sorry, that he loved her. They'd have sex, then Aniki would hang around for a week or so, eating our food and using Rikku's body, then the cycle would begin again.

I learn't the hard way not to get between Rikku and Aniki when Aniki was mad, twenty stiches, a broken rib and a broken wrist from being pushed, head first, down the stairs of the apartment block.

The only reason Rikku wanted him around was that she didn't want her son to not know his own father.

This time Aniki was mad because Rikku was raped while getting home from her job at night. Aniki was mad at_ her_, not the attacker. In his eyes it had been, somehow, her fault. The rape had been over a month ago, Rikku had finally mustered courage to tell him about it, hoping he'd do something to help her. But Aniki had blown up into a rage, then futher angered by the fact that she was now pregnant with the attackers child.

Whenever Aniki was gone, Rikku would be a little bit happier but still fearful of his return.

"Yuna, can you pass me that strainer?" Rikku whispered in her usual quiet voice as she stood by the stove. I handed her the blue plastic strainer, Rikku then proceeded to drain the water from the pasta, letting the steaming water go down the sink. "Is Alex okay?" She asked, looking over at me.

"He's asleep." I replyed calmly. I knew any mention of Aniki would upset her. Sometimes even traits that Alex had that were similar to things Aniki did would make her cry.

"Tomorrow I need you to go down to the market, we're almost out of food." She stated this as if it were a simple thing.

"We..don't have any money left." I whispered, our finaical situtation was precarious.

"I have a few gil tucked away." She assured me quietly as if it was a great big secret. Rikku mixed the small amount of cooked mince in with the pasta.

I missed the old Rikku everyday.

Time had changed everything about her.


	3. Still Fighting It

_**Narkness: Big ol' thanks to for the Albhed translation. (Because not all of us speak Albhed.) And I apologise to those who do ****understand Albhed, If I fd up on the wording. (So you know, the man is trying to sell her fish.) **_

**_I know this chapter is short, but I'm suffering writers block (possibly from lack of sleep.) _**

_**Disclaimer:** I own **nothing** (this includes FFX and FFX-2)._

_**Rating:** This chapter is pretty much G-rated. No swearing, violence, sex, drugs. (my goshes, my first g-rated chappy.)_

_

* * *

_

_There are a lot of things I wish I could answer. _

_Like, what is a dream? _

_What is the soul? _

_Why do we love?_

_But my biggest question is, how do you heal a broken heart? How do you forget?_

_But you have to be a fighter to survive, I won't ever let a broken heart drag me down, while life is hard, I can't give up. __If not for Rikku and Alex, I would have given up already. _

_But I know he's not coming back... _

"Yuna…" Rikku's little voice murmured, breaking my light sleep.

"Uhun?" I raised my head from the thin pillow, looking up at my cousin.

"I need you to take Alex with you today; I've got work all day."

I was then handed a smelly, dirty, hungry Alex.

"Great……" I muttered, watching as Rikku left my tiny little poor excuse for a bedroom. Alex gurgled happily and yanked on my hair with his sticky little hands. "Looks like it's just me and you today little buddy."

_

* * *

_

After a long and arduous session of cleaning, feeding and nappy changing, Alex was fit to come to the markets with me.

_Have you ever tried to juggle a baby and market groceries at the same time? _

_It's painfully frustrating, I assure you. _

The cold concrete streets were filled with busy people and brilliant low-cost wares sold from crudely-made stalls. Market day happened once a week, it was the only time food was affordable.

"Whimn Wumn! Whimn Wumn! Zyoct ayo cugi dy poa myli wumn, ceta?" An Albhed man asked me, thrusting a peculiar looking green fish under my nose.

"No thanks." I shook my head in case he didn't understand English.

"Ehi ayo mohi?" He kept the fish right in front of me.

"No thankyou." I said a little more firmly. For one I had no idea just what this Albhed man was on about.

"Dnum um whimnimd wumn ur ecc mbuhe! zna ryd! U kufi ayo kyyt bhusi!"

I tried to walk away, the man grabbed my wrist.

"Zued!"

"I said no!"

"Bciemi! U nefi e weluca dy wiit, bciemi poa la wumn!"

I wrenched my hand from his grasp.

"I don't want any stinking fish!" Harsh, I know, but he grabbed me. "Touch me again, and I'll punch you." I threatened. He seemed to understand and retreated, going to push his wares on other people. Alex gurgled and pointed at a brightly dressed man selling strange coloured hats.

"Hello Miss." The wearing yellow and orange pants said. "Can I interest you in a purple hat?"

"No thankyou." I shook my head.

"Are you sure? Your son might like one!"

"Oh no. He's not my son. He's my little cousin. But no thanks."

"Very well, have a nice day." The man beamed and waved.

I kept walking down the bustling street, trying not to get trampled by the humans set on seeking out something. Very little sunlight hit the street; it was blocked out by the high-rise buildings.I headed for the stalls covered by a green tent, which was the main area where produce was sold. I was distracted as Alex tugged my hair and pointed down the alley to the side.

"No, Alex, You never go in alleys." _Not these days anyway._

But he was persistent. He kept tugging at my hair, making gurgling noises.

"What is with you? You really wanna go take a look? Fine."

I carried him over to the alley, glancing down the thin dark space between the apartment blocks.

_Then _I saw the man…


	4. Landed

_**Narkness: **Another lame short chapter. I'm sorry I have severe writers block, I'm forcing out a chapter a day. _

_Dundundun. _

_Again. Please point out grammar and spelling errors. I hate them, I'm sure you do too. _

_Please review. Reviews motivate me. _

_**Disclaimer: **I do **not **own FFX or FFX-2. (If I did, would I be writing fanfics? No, I'd be busy rolling in money.) _

_Yet another G-rated chapter. (omgosh I can't believe I've restrained a sex scene so far... Its killing me, I promise one later.) _

* * *

_Then I saw the man… _

At first I thought it was a garbage bag, it looked like a big black lump against the wall.

Then the 'garbage bag' moved and grunted.

I realised the person had thick shagged black hair and long loose black clothes that covered almost every inch of the person. Alex continued to yank on my hair, like he was urging me to help this person.

Alex gurgled. A pair of sharp cerulean eyes snapped in our direction, I stayed as still as humanly possible. The man's eyes drifted over us, the man showed no recognition to my presence.

"Who's there?" The man demanded.

"Who's there?!" The man repeated, but with more urgency. I took a few steps forward, I realised something.

He was blind. His cerulean eyes were clouded.

"Who's there?" The man drew a huge shimmering blue sword, pointing it in my direction, holding the hilt in his right hand. "Don't come near me!"

I wasn't sure what to say.

_What do you say to a blind stranger threatening you with a sword? _

"A-are you o-okay?" I stammered. _Why am I helping him? Damn these old habits. _

"Who are you?!"

I smirked. "Who are _you_?" I shot back.

"I do believe I asked first." The man's voice lost none of its threatening power, but now a smirk played across his lips. I noted that he had quite a handsome face, soft features, almost feminie eyes, but had a long scar down the left side of his face.

"I-I am Yuna."

"Par-rdon?" He stammered, lowering his sword.

"Yuna, my name is Yuna."

He frowned, thinking. "High Summoner Yuna?"

"_Ex-_Summoner." I reminded him sharply. "I refuse to take _that_ title; I am not a summoner any more."

He smirked. "My, you've changed a lot."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? I don't know you." _Who is this guy? _

"You may not remember me, but I remember you." _Yep, he's nuts. _

"What is your name, perhaps we have met." I said calmly. _You don't anger a crazy person with a sword. Even if they are blind. _

"I-I do not know my name. But your voice is familiar."

_Great, I'm talking to a psycotic hobo who can't remember his own name. _

"Do you need help sir?"

"I don't need any pity." He snapped.

"I was just-"

"Just because I'm blind doesn't make me a helpless fool."

"I was just offering help." I turned to leave.

"No!" He cried.

I stopped, the man was standing up, using his right arm to push against the wall. He bent and picked up his sword, sheathing it.

"May we talk awhile?" He asked, stumbling towards me. "I haven't had company in a _long _time." The sleeve on his left side hung loose, flapping in the wind.


End file.
